TIS THE SEASON TO BE SNEEZIN

29th June 2018

Words by Jessica Peace

Sneezing? Scratching your eyes out? Feeling a bit knackered/ depressed? It’s Hayfever mate - and you don’t have to be skipping through a field to feel it, in a big city cars are pumping out pollen from their exhausts; warm, humid and blustery conditions - basically summer in a british city, are the perfect environment for hay fever to whip us up into a frenzy.

SO, WHAT IS IT?

Pollen, that dusty man stuff on your flower heads is causing chaos. Some of us have our two weeks of spluttering then we are done, and some of us will sniff on from March to September, this is because we can be allergic to specific plant pollen - allergic to the summer, cheers mate.

BIG SNEEZE GIVERS

The main culprits are grass - hence the ‘hay’, and trees - they are massive and chuck their pollen over us. Basically, anything that is ‘wind pollinated’ - tosses its pollen into the air, rather than ‘insect pollinated’ - lets the insects and bees rub it around, and you’re in trouble.

So if you can resist then avoid putting your nose into these:

10 HOUNDS OF HAYFEVER...

JASMINE

SUNFLOWERS

WISTERIA

CHAMOMILE

GERBERA

ASTER

DAHLIA

CHRYSANTHEMUM

DANDELION

… AND ROLLING IN THE HAY (Ahem)

BUT DON’T PANIC, some plants are kinder to us - you want tight buds and flat faces, try shoving these in your beds and vases...

10 LOW POLLEN POSIES

ROSE

PEONIE

SNAPDRAGON

SUNFLOWER (‘Hypoallergenic’ variety)

HYDRANGEA

ORCHID

GERANIUM

SWEET PEA

PANSY

IRIS

NATURAL REMEDY ME...

SPREAD THAT HONEY THICK

The pollen in honey is so strong it desensitises the body against all other incoming pollen - buzzing brilliant.

Although its pollen has made the naughty list chamomile tea is your friend. Down a cuppa daily and drop the cold wet tea bags onto your peepers to reduce inflammation.

HOT HOT HEAT

If you can bare it, start chowing down on chilli’s to open up your breathing passages.

THE LITTLE THINGS

Some people say stay indoors - well that might be wise if you are an extreme sufferer and the pollen count is high BUT it’s always better to get outside. So, keep your shades on; rub some vaseline around your nostrils - you can get fancy rubs now or make your own LINK TO NOSE RUB?; keep the windows in your house shut - especially if you live by a road, massive tree or field; when you get home wash your hands, face and change your clothes which the pollen will be clinging onto.

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